Necticut



R. M. SMITH.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mw SEPT. 30, 1909.

Patented Nov. .29, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEFICE.

REXFORD M. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CONNECTICUT AIRCRAFT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Application filed September 30, 1909.

To all whom it may com com Be it known that I, Rnxronn M. SuiTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg.

This invention relates to flying machines of the heavier than air type, one of the main objects of the invention being to provide reliable means for maintaining a perfect equilibrium in the air without mental effort and without either voluntary or involuntary physical effort on the part of the aviator.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for supporting the machine upon the surface of water and rendering it practical to ascend from the surface of the water and alight thereon.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings 2- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flying machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking forward.

Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of the aviators seat showing a slight modification.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the hydroplane showing a modified arrangement of lifting surface.

The frame of the machine which extends fore and aft, comprises the four main longitudinal bars 1, 2, 3 and 4:, each of which, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a pair of members or strips 5 and 6 which are preferably connected together at their opposite ends, at the bow and stern of the machine, the said members or strips being spaced apart by means of transverse struts 7 arranged at suitable intervals, while between the struts, the members 5 and 6 are connected and held together and braced by diagonal truss wires 8. This makes a strong and exceedingly light frame bar admirably adapted for the support of the front and rear planes and controlling devices. 9 designates stanchions or cross bars connecting the main longitudinal frame bars Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 520,240.

1 and 2 at suitable intervals, while 10 designates diagonal truss wires for bracing the frame.

The main lifting and supporting wings 11 project laterally outward. from the central portion of the main frame, *eing arranged one above the other as shown in Figs. 1 an 2, thus making the machine, in the illustrated embodiment, of the bi-plane type. Arranged. at the rear of the main frame, are the rear or tail-planes 12, preferably two in number, arranged one above the other, and mountec in fixed relation to the frame. It will be observed that these planes 12 are preferably curved so as to constitute auxiliary lifting planes, thereby adapting them to compensate for the weight of the rear portion of the main frame and assist the main planes 11 in the uplift of the machine.

The front planes 13, arranged at the forward end of the main frame, are also preferably curved from front to rear for a similar purpose and are connected together for simultaneous movement by stanchions 1 1 and also, if desired, by diagonal braces 15. The frame work connecting the front planes 13 is pivotally mounted. at 16 on a suitable supporting frame bar 1'7 and provided with an operating lever arm 18 from which a connecting bar or rod 19 extends rearward where it is pivotally connected to the upper end of a control. lever 20 fulcrumed at 21, intermediate ends and having a hand wheel 22 mounted and journaled on the lower end thereof as shown in Fig. 1. The lever 20 is held in a central or neutral position by any suitable means such as opposing springs 23 and which permit the lever to be vibrated either forward or backward to operate the connecting rod 19 and thereby vary the angle of inclination of the front planes 18 in order to ascend or descend.

Connected pivotally to the rear end. of each of the side members of the main frame is a rudder 25, the same being mounted on a vertical axis or hinge rod 26 so as to swing horizontally. Each rudder is provided with a forward extension 27 which acts as a partial counter-balance for the main body of the rudder. The two rudders 25, which are arranged in transverse alinement with each other, will, in practice, probably be connected together so as to move in unison and maintain their parallelism and one or both of said rudders will be provided with a tiller arm 28 from which a suitable flexible connection, (not shown) will extend to a drum or pulley 29 on the hubof the controller wheel 22. The operating connections for the rudders 52 5 and the front planes 13 will all be connected to and be controlled by the wheel 2.2 so that by turning said Wheel to the right, the rudders will be positioned at any angle admpting them to steer the machine to the right and vice versa and by pressing the wheel 22 forward the planes 13 will be inclined to direct the machine upward, while, by moving the wheel 22 backward, the planes 13 will be inclined so as to direct the machine downward.

The aviators seat 30 is mounted so that it is free to move laterally with respect to the length of the machine. This seat may either be mounted on suspending swing links 81 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or it may be mounted on caster wheels or rollers adapted to travel on one or more track rails 33. The object in making the aviators seat movable is to automatically control the lateral balancing planes 34: which are preferably arranged above the upper main plane 11 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and pivotally mounted on extensions 35o; the stanchions 36 which connect the upper and lower main planes 11. From the forward edge of one of the planes 34, a flexible connection or cable 37 extends around pulleys 38 to the corre sponding front edge of the other plane 3 L Another flexible connection or cable 39 one tends from the rear part of one of the planes 3e around suitable guide pulleys 4:0 to the other balancing plane 34.. At an intermediate point the connection or cable 39 is attached at the point 41 to the upper arm of a lever 42 fulcrumed at 43 and having a jointed connection at a l with the aviators seat. It will now be apparent that as the machine starts to incline to one side or the other the relative movement between the machine frame and the aviators seat will effect a pull on one of the flexible connections referred to, thereby effecting a corresponding variation in the angles of the lateral balancing planes, causing the latter to counteract instantly the tendency of the machine to list or incline away from a true horizontal plane. This is accomplished without any mental effort whatever on the part of the aviator and also without voluntary or involuntary physical effort on his part. e 5 designates centrally located vertical. fins for maintaining the direction of travel of the machine and overcoming lat eral leeway.

Arranged at the bottom of'the main frame of the machine is a hydro-plane support which is shown as consisting on a pair of floats 46 secured to the under sides of the lower frame bars 2 and 1. Each of said floats, which is preferably closed on all sides and practically air tight and water tight at all points, is provided with a plurality of hydro-plane surfaces 47 shown as consisting of plates set at a suitable inclination as shown. in Fig. 1 and held supported beneath the floats and at a suitable distance therefrom by means of hanger bars 48 secured to opposite sides of the floats. If desired, the hydro-plane surfaces or plates 47 may extend entirely across between the floats and connect and tie the same together as shown in Fig. l. The floats 46 support the machine as a whole on the surface of the water while the hydro-plane surfaces l7 are submerged. As these hydro-planes or plates consist preferably of thin plates of steel or aluminum or other metal brought to a sharp edge at the front they offer aminimum re sistance to the ilorward movement of the machine and at the same time effect a very considerable uplift by the resistance of the water against the under sides thereof, the result being that the floats soon rise clear of contact with the water thereby practically eliminating nearly all of the skin friction of the water and enabling the machine to quickly attain a velocity suflicient to clear the water and rise therefrom, after which the hydro-planes 4:7, by reason of their inclination, act upon the air and assist the other planes in the uplift of the machine. In order to safely alight on the surface of the water, one or more additional hydroplanes 4-9 may be secured to the under side of the forward portion of the machine frame as shown in Fig. 1, the same being adapted to come in contact with the surface of the water and uphold the front portion of the frame while the floats 46 and hydro-planes 47 are settling to their proper level.

Instead of employing the lever 42 above referred to, the flexible connection 39 or the connection 37 may be passed around guide pulleys and connected directly to the avi- 110 aters seat 30 as indicated in Fig. 3.

I claim:

1. A combined air and marine craft comprising in combination, a body or frame, a biplane aerial supporting surface carried 115 thereby, two main sustaining pontoons on the underside of said body, said p'ontoons being disposed close to and at opposite sides of the center of said body below the level of said aerial supporting surface, said pon- 12 teens extending lengthwise in a fore-and-aft direction parallel with each other and with the line of flight, means for propelling the craft in the air and on the water and lifting the craft from the water into the air, ad- 125 justable controlling means for steering the craft and maintaining its longitudinal and lateral stability, and a pair of fixed, centrally located parallel vertical fins in vertical alinement with the outer walls of the pontoons, I30

said fins being arranged above the upper plane of the biplane aerial supporting surface on opposite sides of the longitudinal aXis of the machine and parallel with the line of flight for maintaining the direction of travel of the craft and overcoming lateral leeway.

2. A combined air and marine craft comprising in combination a body or frame, a biplane aerial supporting surface carried thereby, two main sustaining pontoons on the underside of said body, said pontoons being disposed close to and at opposite sides of the center of said body below the level of said biplane aerial supporting surface, said pontoons extending lengthwise in a :t'oreand-aft direction parallel with each other and with the line of flight, means including a motor and propeller, for propelling the craft in the air and on the water and in clined planing surfaces on the pontoons coacting with said motor and propeller for lifting the craft from the water into the air, adjustable controlling means for steering the craft and maintaining its longitudinal and lateral stability, and a pair of fixed centrally located parallel vertical fins, said fins being arranged above the upper plane of the biplane aerial supporting surface in vertical alinement with the outer walls of the pontoons and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the machine and parallel with the line of flight for maintaining the direction of travel of the craft and overcoming lateral leeway.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REXFORD M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

VroroR J. EVANS, FREDERICK L. Fox. 

